Surviving the Oregon Trail, 1852

By: Weldon Willis Rau

Narrated by: Todd Curless

The 1852 overland migration was the largest on record, with numbers swelled by Oregon-bound settlers as well as hordes of gold-seekers destined for California. It also was a year in which cholera took a terrible toll in lives. Presented here are firsthand accounts of this fateful year, including the words and thoughts of a young married couple, Mary Ann and Willis Boatman.

The book is published by Washington State University Press.

©2001 Board of Regents of Washington State University (P)2016 Redwood Audiobooks

This needs to be a movie it is so great!

Really a magnificent collation of diaries, commentary and (for us geology nuts) little gems of geology sidebars. This is a valuable work and is very much in need of better production. But why stop there - give it to AMC or someone and do it up right!

Lots of geographical and geological info

The geography would be interesting if one were traversing the trail. I did not like the way the narrator used voices. It was distracting to change voices within a sentence. The historical record was good

Accumulated detail

The author not only relates authentic accounts of pioneers but also imparts his knowledge of the geological terrain they endured and witnessed. Recommended.

Loved it

This is a very good Oregon trail book. if the hardships and victories of the trail interest you then you'll love this book too. Well researched, well written and well read this book touches on most places and trials most pioneers faced.

The Facts

I loved all he details from various journals. Also enjoyed the geologic perspective. Great book!